


Between the Fighting

by Grimalkenkid



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Slice of Life, current Gency, past MercyKill, will update tags as I add more flash fics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-10
Updated: 2016-10-09
Packaged: 2018-08-20 13:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8251103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grimalkenkid/pseuds/Grimalkenkid
Summary: A series of flash fics featuring the Overwatch crew. Primarily set after Recall, and generally all within the same continuity.





	

            Angela never understood the allure of pumpkin spice. It was a nice flavor, but the way it invaded just about every food known to man during the fall was frankly overkill. She would never go out of her way to buy it when it was in peak season.

            Yet the doctor would come running out of bed when the smell of Gabriel’s homemade pumpkin spice coffee tickled her nose.

            “Oof!” the older man grunted as Angela practically hurled herself against his back to wrap her arms around his chest. “Angel, is that really necessary?”

            “Mm, yes.” She nuzzled against his shoulder blades. “Can the raven spare some of that coffee for his precious dove?”

            Gabriel chuckled softly, instantly recognizing the words he’d used just last night while they were tucking themselves in for the night. “Of course, that’s why I made it.”

            Unfortunately, they both had work to attend to and couldn’t spend much time chatting in the kitchen over toast, but the walk to Overwatch headquarters was long enough to make up for it. Bundled up against the biting, October winds, Angela took deep breaths of the steam rising from her coffee mug, relishing the smell and the presence of her one love right beside her. Nothing could go wrong, not before they got to work.

            The light was red. The car should’ve stopped.

            Angela wasn’t sure if the screaming was coming from one of the several passersby or if she was the one screaming. She rushed forward to where the older man had collapsed on the asphalt, desperately checking for a pulse. “Gabriel! Gabriel! Please, say something!”

            Red, glowing eyes shot open, and suddenly it wasn’t Gabriel. The face was right, but patches of his skin kept decaying and rejuvenating haphazardly, black smoke escaping between the cracks. He was glaring and gritting his teeth, and then she felt cold, sharp gauntlets clutching her wrists… yanking her closer to his face.

            “You did this to me! Why did you make me a monster?”

            “No! Gabriel, I’m sorry! Please forgi-”

            “Rot in Hell with me, fallen angel! You’ll pay for what you’ve done!”

            “No… I…”

 

            “Angela…”

 

            “I’m sorry, Gabriel… I never meant for this…”

 

            “Angela… Please wake up… Angela!”

 

            She startled awake so suddenly that when she felt cold metal on her hands, she screamed. Unlike the dream Reaper, though, the moment the sound left her mouth, the sensation disappeared.

            “Angela…?”

            The Swiss doctor glanced frantically around the room, her mind still caught somewhere between wakefulness and dreams. A metallic glint at her side drew her attention, and she gave a shaky sigh in relief. “Genji…”

            The cyborg nodded once, reaching down again to pull her into his arms. Angela threw her arms around his shoulders, grateful that the rough texture of his synthetic muscles was so different than Gabriel’s had been.

            Oh God… Gabriel…

            “I’m…” She couldn’t get further than that before a light kiss against her forehead made her pause. Genji stroked her hair, grounding her with gentle, steady touches. The only thing stopping her from falling back asleep where she sat was the fresh memory of clawed gloves scraping at her throat.

            “You were crying, and I was worried. Was it a nightmare?”

            Angela almost didn’t want to tell him. It was her burden to bear, after all. But he was so calm – so honest – that she couldn’t keep him in the dark. “It… was a memory… Not completely, but enough.”

            Genji didn’t say anything immediately. “I am here. You need not face the past alone,” he said after a brief silence. It wasn’t much, and it certainly wasn’t as poetic as some of her past lovers would’ve said… but it was enough. Genji was no dashing raven or handsome knight, but he was a stone… a stone she needed to hold onto to keep from drowning in her own mistakes.

            She had failed Gabriel. She had not failed Genji. That was enough for now.

**Author's Note:**

> First flash fic, and it's appropriately (kinda, sorta) Halloween-themed.
> 
> As always, comments and critiques are greatly appreciated.


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